American Federation of Arts Contact: Lisbeth Mark, Director of Communications New York, September 28, 1999 - In response to the September 22nd announcement by Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mayor of the City of New York, that he would seek to cut off all city funding to the Brooklyn Museum of Art (BMA) unless it cancels the exhibition Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection, the American Federation of Arts (AFA) issued the following statement today: We support the Brooklyn Museum of Art, a member of the AFA, and its director, Arnold L. Lehman, who serves on the AFA's Board of Trustees, in the presentation of the traveling exhibition, Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection. We are deeply concerned by the announcement of Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mayor of the City of New York, to withhold city funding to the BMA if the exhibition opens. The AFA is also concerned that the Mayor is challenging the BMA for violating the terms of its lease with the city. For 90 years, a principal activity of the AFA has been to organize and travel art exhibitions. We are in a unique position to understand their special place in the cultural landscape. Traveling exhibitions (the BMA is the sole venue in North America for Sensations) and the public programs they engender, help globalize art and extend the ability of art, in its infinitely varied forms, to inform, educate, and enrich people's lives. It is appropriate for a democratic government-for the people it serves-to support the arts. There is a long, distinguished history of public financial support for art institutions in this country. However, it is not appropriate for a democratic government to dictate what art to display. The First Amendment guarantees that. Similarly, it is not appropriate for a democratic government to dictate what art should not be displayed. By withholding funds to the BMA, Mayor Giuliani is punishing the museum for bringing a challenging exhibition-on view previously in London and Berlin-to New York City, the cultural center of the world. We urge the Mayor not to interrupt New York City's full financial support of the BMA. * * * The American Federation of Arts (AFA) is the nation's oldest non-profit art museum service organization. The AFA provides its more than 550 member institutions with traveling art exhibitions and educational, professional, and technical support programs developed in conjunction with the museum community. Through these programs, the AFA seeks to strengthen the ability of museums to enrich the public's experience and understanding of art. Serena Rattazzi, Director. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).